


Seldra vs. Starscream

by mydarksidelovesthis



Series: Botmother [2]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Action, Cybertron, Fights, Gen, POV First Person, POV Original Female Character, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Science Fiction, Starscream is Evil Prankster Villain, Worst Mom Ever, not evil just misunderstood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 11:08:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22969000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydarksidelovesthis/pseuds/mydarksidelovesthis
Summary: Some scenes where Starscream plays pranks on Seldra - like, really mean pranks. These scenes I just decided to remove from the main story, but it's good to have them anyway as background. If you enjoy Starscream being a pranky asshole you might like this.
Relationships: Starscream & Se-eldra Sadr'khor (OC)
Series: Botmother [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1622833





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Seldra gegen Starscream](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22627012) by [mydarksidelovesthis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydarksidelovesthis/pseuds/mydarksidelovesthis). 



> Dear reader,
> 
> randomly I wrote that scene where Seldra pours hot tea over Starscream. I didn't like how big of a coincidence that was, but then I enjoyed all those things that developed from that, so I decided to make it canon to my story.
> 
> First I wanted to intertwine these scenes with the story I'm currently writing, to show how Starscream influenced Seldra's fighting style, but then I figured he was completely irrelevant to the story and I removed him. Don't tell him or I'll be in trouble. Also someone told me that all the changes of perspective in the Expanse story are confusing, so I decided to not do it again. Because I listen to negative feedback and highly appreciate it.
> 
> Happy Chinese year of the robo-rat.
> 
> Kind regards  
> My Rebellious Side Loves This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seldra pours tea over Starscream.  
> Starscream startles Seldra.  
> Starscream steals Seldra's clothes.  
> Starscream leaves Seldra hanging.  
> Starscream shows Seldra how to draw.  
> Starscream takes Seldra on a joyflight.

I was crouching at the edge of a road - nobody sane sat down onto the cold metal ground - and hold a cup of tea. At least it was my sad try to produce something like a tea. The mosses and lichens I could barely taste. They were covered by the flavor of steamed organic substances, because I cooked the water in the clavi ... clavu ... in the device where Paratron sterilized his utensils. Dis-gus-ting.

"That's unacceptable" I decided and threw the cup along with the hot tea over the edge.

I relaxed and watched the horizon, where the comb structures of Cybertron seemingly disappeared in the plane. As long as the Cons left me alone sometimes I could feel something like peace.

Then I heard a "clonk" from far away and a voice shouted: "Hey!"

I got up and looked down over the edge.

"Who did this?" Starscream looked up and directly at me. Whoops.

He transformed and accelerated in my direction. I felt hot and cold at the same time. Shit, shit shit, I was in trouble.

I trembled backwards from the edge and didn't even manage to turn around to run away, when he landed with a thundering noise in front of me in his robot mode. The impact shook the ground and I fell on my bum. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you!" The sentence ended in a scream when Starscream bended over me with glaring optics. I could not stand the look. I fell forward on my knees, hands lifted, eyes down. "I didn't mean to, please, I'm so sorry."

I was expecting a punishment, a castigation and cringed, didn't dear to look the attack in the eye. Maybe out of anger he would forget about the Allspark inside of me and crush me.

Instead, after he looked at me for several seconds - the small, pitiful creature that I was - the angry spitting of his ventilation system slowed down when he thought about what to do with me.

"You will regret this" he finally said and flew away. In the first moment I was nearly relieved and watched him leave.

Then I realized, that this threat was worse than an actual punishment, because I didn't know when and what would happen and a feeling of unease stayed all the time.

When I reached the building - the command center, Mr. Evil Boss had called - Starscream was about to enter the gate. Too bad he looked around before and spotted me.

I hesitated.

Starscream gave me a charming smile like a wolf that had discovered a tasty lamb, so lonely and helpless. He made an inviting move with his servo to the gate.

Patiently he waited for me.

Was this the moment of my punishment? I considered to just turn around, but I needed to get through this. In a feeling of apprehension my heartbeat accelerated with every step. I continued slowly, watching Starscream out of the corner of my eye. Every step was harder to take then the previous one.

Suddenly he rushed forward: "Boo!"

I jumped out of fear, at the same time as my heart.

Starscream laughed amused.

I glared at him, but didn't dare to say anything and sped up my steps through the gate, before he got any more ideas.

Comfort was lacking on Cybertron. There were no cloth stores, understandingly. There were no washing machines.

I still wore the same clothes from when I was kidnapped, including the top with the big slit on the chest, where the Decepticons had sawn me open. It was incrusted from my blood.

I washed my clothes in the puddle beside the factory, where condensed water gathered. I hadn't found a substitute for soap yet, so I couldn't wash out the blood. Then I clamped my clothes into the overlapping panels of the wall, where they hung in the warm exhaust air. And waited.

The Cybertronians and I belonged to completely different species and I didn't expect them to be offended by my nudity. Nevertheless out of shame I didn't want them to see me, so I stayed down here in the corner and waited.

I crouched in front of my clothes in the warm stream of air and looked into the distance, watched the busy Decepticons flying through the city.

While I slowly napped away I was reacting too late to the noise behind me. When I turned around, Starscream transformed in a fly by to his robot mode and skillfully picked up my clothes.

Out of consternation I justed stared at him. He flew by over my head, waved me with the bundle of clothes and transformed to a jet, before diving into the abyss and accelerated.

"Starscream, no, stop!", I shouted after him, but it was of no use.

"I need my clothes" I said half loud, didn't dare to send a request and to make a fool out of myself in front of all. Even without that I felt abased. "I will catch a cold."

Of course my pleading lead to nothing. I covered my face with my hands. That bastard. Shit, what should I do now. I needed to come up with anything.

Finally I found a solution and sneaked into Pretender School, where I learned to transform a part of the metal of my body to clothes.

A noisiness woke me. Oh no, Starscream found me. The uneasy feeling in my stomach returned.

"Tell me, human, in what do you transform? I aways see you running around as human."

Hey, bastard, I'm sleeping. Which I didn't dare to say out aloud. Because Cybertron was not made for human inhabitants I needed to improvise. Because the ground was too cold to lie on it for a longer time I slept crouching. Because I was lacking a blanket I crouched in a stream of warm exhaust air from a factory, similar to the one where I dried my clothes in. I started to find this sleeping pose comfortable.

I rubbed my sleepy eyes. "Why would I? I'm a human. We don't do such a thing."

That was half a lie. The Allspark within me started to turn my human flesh into metal. I hated it, I didn't understand what was going on with me. It seemed to develop its own will. Above all I didn't want to talk about this with Starscream.

"You disappeared for several days" he argued. "Rumors say that you're evolving. The question is just: into what."

I didn't care as long as it was no Starscream. I saw that I wouldn't find any more sleep today, so I got up. Also now I needed to find a new sleeping place, one Starscream didn't know about. But how long would it take until he found it out? The best thing was if I slept somewhere else every day. "First I evolve to a clean, well-fed human", I replied and wanted to leave.

But Starscream flew with roaring engines to me. I could barely turn around to look what the noise was about, when he grabbed me and carried me away.

"Hey, let me go."

"Okay."

He threw me against a building. I screamed, tried to find a grip and slided downwards. Surprisingly I came to a hold, in the middle of the facade. My hands had clamped into the gap between two panels, as if I wanted to rip them apart. What an arduous position, I already felt my power dwindle. Carefully I wanted to look down, but I pushed myself as close to the wall as possible, so instead I looked to the side. First: It was damn high. Second: My feet were standing on the upper edge of another panel.

Here I couldn't hold myself for long. I looked up to the opening of a window some yards away. If I could only climb to it. Sideways was not possible, there was nothing where I could find a hold. Maybe I could climb upward if I knew how to better use the gap, but where to put my feet?

Behind me I heard Starscream's jet engines spitting. The last thing I needed. He said: "I wonder, when you promised Megatron you would never beg for mercy, how serious were you? Would you beg me if I let you down?"

Never-ever. I wanted to tell him to do it to himself, but I didn't feel like I was in the position for that. "Starscream, I think you're overreacting with all that stuff just because of a cup of tea. I said sorry."

"Oh, human. The first few times were because of the tea. Now it's because of you."

What's that supposed to mean. I dared to raise a foot to somehow clamp it into the gap, but I wobbled so much that I rather retreated to my initial position. "Wait for it, Starscream. One day you get everything back."

"All those empty promises. Get in line."

He flew away, I didn't see where.

Now I was alone. If there was anyone else watching me suffering I didn't notice it.

Once again I tried to climb up in the gap, but I didn't find a way. My arms felt lame like custard and in my muscles the burning feeling increased. But it was too early to give up. I sobbed shortly and prayed in silence, but nobody listened. So I tore myself together and kept struggling, searched for another way.

I considered to step back, then I would slide down the facade a bit and grab the upper edge of the panel where currently my feet stood. At least this would reduce my distance to the street and I could look for another way.

Some deep breathes. I called forth my courage. Then slowly I pushed back my feet.

When I started to fall I regretted my decision even before my hands reached the edge and slipped off due to weakness. My hands scratched uselessly over the facade, broke my finger nails until the flesh, but I didn't realize it, tried desperately to find a hold.

Then something grabbed me. I spun around, still screaming. Before I knew what happened I laid on the ground, face down and got up shaking and confused about how I got here.

I was just drinking at my water place when I heard a rumbling noise, turned around and saw Starscream landing.

Oh god, Starscream. His sight, the spitting of his engines, his voice, his glance, everything made me shiver. He was the herald who announced mischief. Get out. Instantly I jumped up and took cover behind the next corner.

Starscream calmly went closer and laughed. "Human, come here. I won't hurt you."

"I don't believe a word you're saying. You're still mad because of the tea and came up with a new punishment. I'm sorry, I already said. Leave me alone."

I didn't know what to do to appease him or else I would do it. Should I cry more? That didn't work the last time. If no one told me how to handle this situation - and barely anyone told me anything - then I had no clue. I holed up in a pile of scrap metal in the alley.

Starscream stopped before it. It would be easy for a robot of his size to sweep away all the scrap with a single movement. I hoped that for him it wasn't worth the effort. Nevertheless I prepared myself to run away when he got his servos busy.

"I've got something for you."

I asked: "Why should I take anything from you?"

He took something out, that's what I could hear, and put it onto the ground.

"You humans like to get creative, huh? I've got some paint for you."

Why would he do that? That had to be a trick. But I couldn't see where this was leading to.

Curiously I looked out. He had put a small bucket in front of him.

Still suspicious I slowly came out. Observed. Took some steps, while closely watching Starscream. Looked to the bucket. A clear liquid was in it and an alien, Cybertronian brush laid beside it. Which I could tell judging the fine mechanics.

It was hard to believe. Could it be possible that he wanted to get along with me? I couldn't help myself and still suspected a trick, but Starscream crouched beside me and explained with great patience how the paint worked.

"You're applying a voltage here, then the paint takes on a color depending on the voltage. The longer you apply the voltage, the darker the paint becomes, you see?"

Fascinated I watched how the paint turned blue. I looked up to him. This had to be a trick. Everything else made no sense.

"Is that why you're so colorful?" I looked at his white, red and blue coloring.

"Of course. Only with this my true beauty shines."

Then he explained to me, which substances I needed to mix how for this paint and let me perform the steps until I could produce my own paint. Everything was peaceful. How did I deserve this honor?

Finally Starscream left and wished me much fun.

I found great joy with my new possibilities. Because I had trouble to orientate at this place I started to draw symbols on the buildings: Blue arrows pointed to water, red to Paratron's lab, green to places where I had found eatable plants. Purple to Megatron's command center.

I produced several colors and started to beautify the walls, that's how I drew the picture of a beach in a corridor.

I had forgotten about that when Megatron called for me per radio transmission: "Human, meet me in one groon in the command center."

"Yes, Sir."

No idea, how long a groon was, usually enough time, but I had a long way before me until Megatron's command center.

I went on my way. Just before I reached the entrance to the command tower, Starscream stepped into the gate.

I froze. Why did he look at me so lurking?

He said nothing, just looked to me and smiled.

Then he pushed the switch beside the gate, which lowered itself.

"No!"

The gate shut before I reached it. "You bastard!", I shouted, no idea if he heard it. I hoped he didn't.

Outside I didn't find any switch, to open the gate from this side. "Let me in!" I shouted and considered to add "please", but I decided against it.

So I had to take a long way round.

Finally I met Megatron in his command center.

"It took you 1.3 groon. What kept you late?" That's all I knew: Everything greater than 1 was a disappointment.

"It's not my fault. Starscream closed the gate and ..."

"I'm tired of all your excuses."

I formed fists and bit my tongue to silence myself. That was so unfair. After I had helped the Autobots the Decepticons used every opportunity to bring me down. That was one of the countless possibilities to make me pay for my crimes, without killing me.

When I didn't say anything else he continued with the true reason for my audience. "You smudged walls with color. Not enough that Cybertron decays because of you, now you personally contribute to its destruction."

"But ... But Lord Megatron, I have trouble to orientate myself, so I drew some symbols on the walls to guide me."

"This is what you call a symbol to guide you?"

On one of the screens he showed a picture of my painting of a city at a river, where a storm was raging above the buildings.

I ... okay, that was not for guidance. Guilty I lowered my head.

"You're cleaning up your smudge. This instant", Megatron commanded before he dismissed me.

Cybertron's ongoing decay was the more noticeable the more I went down the levels. At the top you could see the stains of rust, the holes in the buildings, the crumbling streets. The garbage, scrap and wreckages gathered on the lower levels. The deeper I went, the more creepier it became. It became quiet, the business took place at the top. The few Cybertronians who hung around here looked as down and as rusty as the area. The sun light didn't make it until down here, it was dark and the air was heavy to breath.

I didn't want to go down any further. I climbed through the hills of wreckages where it smelled moldy. I hoped to find mushrooms or woodlouses or anything else that could become handy.

Something rustled in the wreckages nearby. Naïve as I was I climbed closer to check what made that noise. Then something jumped at me - well, what was it? In the twilight it looked like mechanical rats. Yes, rats.

They jumped at me, tried to bite me. I screamed, stumbled backwards, went downhill on the wreckages. I grabbed any panel to use it as a shield, but I went further downhill and the rats circled around me. One jumped at me - I raised my shield, but the impact threw me back. I overturned, the rat above me, slided further and went over the edge of the street.

The rat jumped from me back to the street, gave me an extra push to the deep with that. Glowing red optics watched my fall and I quickly left them behind.

Cybertron was deep. While more layers in shorter distances passed me by I decided to carefully send: "Ehm, help? I can't fly and I'm falling."

They didn't want me to die, not as long as I carried the Allspark within me.

"I'm on the lower levels. Not pushing, but the core isn't far."

Man, I was so stupid. Did it really have to end like this? Why did I not reckon that there are animals living in the city? All of Cybertron hates me, including its wildlife.

Then suddenly I was pulled around. After some moments of disorientation I found myself in the arms of Starscream, who flew me towards the top in his robot mode. I looked down and thought to see the red optics of the rats, which we quickly left behind.

"Tha... thanks" I stuttered. This closeness was unpleasant for me. "I thought you would hate me after the incident with the tea."

"Don't be ridiculous. That was just an excuse to teach you a lesson."

I looked up into his face, into his mysterious smile. No idea what he meant by that.

While we flew up I looked around and enjoyed the view onto Cybertron's comb structure. Fascinating. I wish I could fly, too, that would make it so much easier for me to get around.

"Thanks, that's enough" I said. "Would you put me down over there? I'll find the way on my own."

"No."

Okay? I tried to read in his face what he was up to. An uneasy feeling spread. We flew up further. "Until here it's enough" I said. "Otherwise I need to climb down again."

"No."

Finally I dared to ask: "Ehm, where are we heading to?"

He kept his mysterious smile. Now I got scared. I pushed myself away from his body.

"Do you really want to do that?"

No, of course not, I just escaped death. Instead I grasped to his breast plate when I looked down into the dizzy depth and decided it was more safe nearby Starscream.

When I started to shiver and the air became thin I began to understand. "Do you want to find out how much I can take? Not much." I tried to stay calm, but facing the increasing cold it was hard.

I started to freeze. The icy wind pulled at my clothes. I wanted to warm up my cold fingers in my mouth, but they were stiff and stuck at Starscream's breast plate.

I tried to breath, but I felt like suffocating. Because I couldn't speak anymore, I sent on short distance: "You're killing me."

"Because of the Allspark within you Megatron forbid to kill you. That means: Everything else is allowed."

Suddenly the sky tilted. Starscream went to dive down. I screamed out of fear, Cybertron in front of me, where we were rushing to. No, no, we would crash on the ground, I thought in panic. That made no sense. Maybe only I would crash. Desperately I clinched to Starscream's chest plate, wanted to get away from the ground, climb towards his feet, but I didn't find a way.

I barely noticed how he put me down in front of the command center and sobbed. "I hate you" I spat out. My heart didn't want to calm down and my stiff hands still burned from the cold - so cold, that the metal of the street felt warm, nevertheless I had never been so happy about this ground.

Megatron bended over me with pity and contempt. "Starscream, what did you do to the human?"

"Just a little joyflight."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starscream takes Seldra on a rollercoaster ride.  
> Starscream steals Seldra's heart.  
> Seldra gets in trouble after the dogfight.  
> Seldra vs. Cyber-Morphic Predators.

When Megatron and his officers went along the street on the way to the command tower, around them the Cons fell onto their knees, including M-426237. I looked at them wondering what this excitement was about. Who were they anyway? I was so small that no one noticed if I was standing or kneeing. Nobody but one.

Starscream turned his head to me. Recognized me. Went slowly towards me. Oh god, not again.

M-426237 gave me a slap on the back of my head, whereupon I felt onto my knees, too. "You know that Starscream ranks high above me?" he whispered to me. "If you start a fight with him you're on your own."

But I couldn't take my eyes away from Starscream. His optical sensors nearly pierced me. I had to see what he did, so for once - once! - I had a chance to turn away whatever he was up to.

The other Cons disappeared into the building.

"There you are again, human." Starscream stopped. "Do I need to teach you some manners? Or will you start crying again like a little Sparkling?"

My face burned in shame over the public humiliation, but even more it burned within me. I had learned to control the machine and to stand my ground against the other protoforms. Now I didn't want to take any shit from anyone. My look pierced him back. But I pulled myself together. M-426237 gave me another slap and I turned my eyes down.

"No, Sir."

The hairs on my neck raised. I had to face the danger and looked at him again.

He smiled insidiously: "What's up, Sparkling? Do you want to attack me? Come on, I see it in your eyes."

Oh, how I would like to do it. But I couldn't start another fight, not with Megatron nearby. Besides, I had no chances against Starscream.

I answered: "No, Sir" and forced myself to look down.

It was burning inside of me. The machine wanted to fight and to stand its ground. But my human mind judged the situation and was against it.

Starscream exposed his EMP cannon and pointed it to me. "Really not? Come on, I dare you. I even let you attack first." I had heard stories about this weapon. No, I surely didn't want to be hit by that. But I had not to show any fear.

I stood up. Transformed.

Starscream's smile became wider. Everyone knew that I transformed for fights.

The Decepticons standing around made room for us.

I sent a message to Megatron: "I'm requesting permission to kick Starscream's afterburner."

The street became quiet when the chats stopped. Heads turned to me. Even Starscream was so surprised he didn't say anything for a moment.

Then we received Megatron's answer: "No."

That had been risky of me. I had aimed at him saying no and now I had an official prohibition. Lucky me.

I transformed back. Now the case was settled and we could depart peacefully. Starscream knew that I couldn't disobey an official order from Megatron. Not again, not an unimportant one like that. His patience with me was already strained, also it put a bridle on the fighting spirit of the machine within me.

But now Starscream did something that surprised me.

He sent: "Megatron. Requesting permission to convey the human a lecture."

Oh, shit. Starscream's request had a completely different weight than mine.

But instead of an answer Megatron stomped out of the building.

He barked: "What's going on here?" Megatron turned to me: "What did you do this time?"

Because he asked me I answered honestly: "I poured hot tea over Starscream." He didn't ask what Starscream did, so I didn't tell him. I doubted that he cared. Probably he already knew and just wanted me to admit my guilt. At least in one point.

"Why does this not surprise me?" Megatron rolled his optical sensors. "Human, your frequently missteps are inappropriate. Settle this among yourselves. Starscream, I expect you in the meeting in one breem."

"Yes, Lord Megatron."

A feeling of unease spreaded. I was at Starscream's mercy. That was not the plan.

Starscream indicated a submissive bow and could barely suppress his grin.

When Megatron disappeared into the building, Starscream turned to me. Theatrically he made the knuckles of his digits crack.

"So, little one. Now you're mine."

When he came towards me I transformed and looked for a way to escape - there was none. Or at least some protection in case he used his EMP cannon. Forget about that. I jumped around and moved backwards, to make my way to the next building to disappear in. There I would make up a fitting attack plan.

But Starscream was faster and grabbed me.

He threw me through the air, over the edge. I screamed. I fell. I saw the abyss of the city rushing towards me, saw myself only seconds away from the impact and my death.

Until Starscream appeared in front of me, grabbed me again and threw me sideways. I flew screaming towards the wall of a building and lifted my arms to protect my head from the impact.

Shortly before the building Starscream was there again and threw me from below against the street.

This time he let me hit it and the impact made me lose my senses for a moment, it flashed in my visual input as if someone had beat a TV. A second later I regained consciousness when I was already in free fall.

The game continued. I tried to cling to Starscream's arm, but he threw me away as if it was nothing and I flew towards the street below.

He caught me in a fly-by shortly before the ground and threw me up askew. In a high curve I flew over the street, over the heads of the Decepticons who followed me with their optics, how I disappeared on the other side and fell.

Where Starscream caught me and threw me again.

I smashed in an acute angle against the facade, tried to grab a hold, but overturned and slided down, where I hit the ground - luckily the fall wasn't that deep - and lied still.

I grabbed a bumpiness of the street with my claws and sobbed with my tin machine voice. That sounded terrible. I transformed. A crying fit shook me and tears bursted out of my eyes. Because of pain in the muscles and bruises I could barely move. Damn, I was still alive, but for how long?

When Starscream shook the ground with his landing I didn't know whether to keep clinging to the street or to run away. Both was practically useless.

Instead I pulled together my last crumb of courage and willpower. Stood up and raised my hands. "Please, it's enough, I'm sorry."

I yielded backwards when his servo moved towards me. Starscream grabbed my neck and lifted me.

I couldn't stand his piercing glare and narrowed my eyes out of fear.

"Let me see your face, Sparkling. Your tears are the fruits of my efforts, which I now harvest. Your crying earns you nothing hear. Learn where your place is."

I managed to open my eyes, but I could only look onto the racked arm that I clinched to. "I said I'm sorry. What else do you want?"

He let go his grip and I fell to the ground. Threatening he pointed his digit to me. "Stay away from me."

Then he jumped over the edge of the street, accelerated and flew up, where he disappeared in the building.

I crouched with my food at the edge of the street outside and enjoyed the view over the deep city with its combs and the flying and driving Cybertronians. Today my meal consisted of a giant heart. Beside my aversion of eating organs with that size it could feed me for a week and I didn't need to go begging in that time. Slowly I got used to my unusual bill of fare.

Beside me Starscream landed. My first reaction was to roll my eyes, so I turned my head away so he wouldn't see it.

He said: "I watched you. Your flying skills are a shame for the Decepticons."

"I'm not a Decepticon. Margret said it's a choice." Beside that he was right. I rather stayed on the ground then making a fool out of myself in front of everybody for the millionth time.

Starscream replied: "You don't want me as an enemy."

"What else? Your friend neither. I don't want to ruin your stats of zero friends."

He laughed shortly. "Say something like this again and you'll kiss the street on full speed."

A clumb formed in my throat. I lost my appetite.

He smiled mysteriously. "I'm just a friend giving you some well meant advices. And I say you should train to fly better."

"What shall I do? The flight school declined me. Leave me alone, I'm eating."

But suddenly - I noticed it too late - he stepped to me, wrenched the food from me and jumped over the edge. Gallantly he flew up and and stayed in midair, several yards above the abyss, while his engines were spitting all the time.

I got up. "Starscream, you ..." Dick I want to shout, but I held myself back. "You stole my ..." heart. No, I would never tell anyone. I put my fist into my mouth while I searched for words and tried to speak with a friendly voice. "Please give me back my ..." Give me back my heart. How weird. "Food."

He smirked. "But I give it back to you. You just need to come here."

I stood at the edge of the abyss, threw down a glance, back to him and hesitated. That had to be one of his tricks again. When I remembered the last time he wanted something from me ... when I remembered ALL the times.

I firmly looked Starscream into the optics. "No, you want to lurk me into a trap again. Bring it to me."

Disappointment spread in his face. "Too bad. Okay, then forget about it."

He dropped my heart. My heart fell down. I stared at it for the fraction of a second and thought - Damn, there goes one week of my life into the abyss - and jumped after it, head first.

That was a mistake.

I exposed my jet engines and accelerated, keeping the falling heart in view. We dived into the direction of Cybertron's core, but Cybertron was huge and deep, the distance we passed barely spanned one level.

The heart came slowly closer. I reached out to it, grabbed it. Well so far, what now? I had no idea how to steer.

So I switched off my engines, clinched to the heart and pulled my knees up, while I turned myself until I was roughly back upright. When I accelerated, I moved on an undefined line upwards.

I tried to look up to see where I was heading to, destroyed the bit stability of my flight path I had had and spun backwards in a curve. My heart slipped through my fingers and I clawed my fingers into the flesh.

Again I switched off my engines, waited until I had a stable fall, then I bent upwards around the heart and accelerated again.

I was clueless how to land with this huge heart and my lack of steering capabilities.

Starscream killed himself laughing and skillfully flew to me, adjusted to my flight path and seemingly stood in some distance constantly beside me.

"Sparkling, if you're flying any slower you fall down."

"Get lost."

Oh Primus, I'm so much in trouble.

Starscream maneuvered in the air without effort, like a swimmer in the water. He flew to me, gave me a light blow and I span through the air again out of control.

Before I could stabilize my path he was there again and gave me another blow. My heart was nearly dropping out of my arms.

The air was the element of a flyer, especially of a seeker like Starscream. Here I was in his realm and at his mercy. How should I escape from here? What a stupid idea, I should have just let the heart drop.

The same game again, this time he pulled at my side, so I span pirouettes through the air. It filled me with nausea and I lost orientation completely.

"Starscream, you're killing me!"

"Stop whining. You're not dieing that quickly."

I didn't know how to stop spinning, also the heart pushed against my arms with all its weight and I got tired.

Finally out of weakness I dropped it and took the chance, spread my arms which slowed down the rotation and accelerated myself. Also now I could extend my legs and stabilized my path.

I looked for my heart and needed some seconds until I could see the small, falling object in front of the city's background. Then I let myself fall again to roughly adjust into that direction and accelerated.

Starscream surpassed me like a Ferrari surpassed a horse carriage. Like a hawk did with a sparrow he picked the heart out of the air and flew a curve until verticalness, where he kept standing in the air.

But I? I kept flying downwards, surpassed my designation. Although I tried to bent upwards I couldn't. I needed to switch off the engines first, then roughly position myself and switched them on again.

This also took a while to bring me from the fall to an upward movement. I got tired. The thrust of my engines decreased. I couldn't stand this for much longer. I needed to land soon.

I raised up to Starscream's height before I got the idea to take away the thrust. But Starscream accelerated, too, and kept himself at the same height as me. I slowed down.

"Show me what you've got. Defend yourself."

I got angry and started to stop caring about the heart. I bent forward, reached out as if I could grab him at this distance. Along with that I bent backwards and the weight of my engines pulled me back.

Starscream laughed amused and followed me.

Oh Primus, I was too exhausted. I tried to stabilize myself, but only some pitiful gasp came out of my engines.

I crossed the flight path of another Decepticon in jet mode, who dodged me in the last moment and sent angrily: "Hey, watch out!"

Starscream gave me another blow. I crashed against the building that just jumped up out of nothing in front of me and transformed just in time to take the impact. It threw me back and I fell again. A last coughing from my jet engines brought me back to the building and I turned around to pound my claws into the facade. Leaving several deep scratches in the facade I slided down. The claws of my feet hit the upper edge of a panel and ripped deep notches into it. When my hands reached the panel, it was enough to stop me completely.

Rashly I climbed to the next window opening and disappeared to the inside, before Starscream got the idea to continue the show. In the last moment I saw him flying away in any direction.

Inside I hugged the ground - laid down with arms spread wide - and pulled myself together into a crouching position for sleeping, tired and exhausted.

It felt like only a few minutes later that I received a radio message from Megatron, who summoned me.

Oh man. What have I done this time.

Because of the flying action I didn't know where I was and started by stepping out of the door, to orientate myself with my eyes and to search the sky for attackers.

The air was clear, no Starscream was to be seen. Which didn't mean a thing given his speed, but at least it was possible that he was not around.

I spotted him when I reached the command tower. Starscream stood in front of the gate and gave me this insincere friendly smile when I came closer.

He did not actually think I would fall twice for the same trick. I didn't want to know what he was up to this time.

"No" I said out loud.

Starscream looked at me slightly disappointed. "Ladies first. I won't harm you."

"You first" I repeated and stood my ground.

His smile froze. "Okay, never mind then."

He stepped through the gate and punched the switch beside it. The gate lowered quickly.

"Hey, I need to get in, too!"

To be faster I transformed and sprinted through the opening, just before the gate hit the ground.

That was close.

I transformed back and wanted to go ahead, but something held me back.

When I turned around I saw that my tail got clamped in the closed gate.

"Oh no!"

I tried to get it out and pulled on it will all my force, but the gate was too heavy.

I tried to reach the switch, but it was too high and my tail was too short.

Starscream laughed at me.

I sighed and didn't know whether to scream at him or to beg him, so I tried to stay objective. "I will be late."

"That's your problem. Handle it yourself."

Now the anger got hold of me. "Why don't you go and annoy someone of your size, Megatron for instance?"

"You know" he answered considering, "if you know someone for millions of years there's not much new you can do to them. You, on the other hand ..."

He came close, crouched down before me and bumped his index finger against my forehead. "You're entertaining."

He laughed again and left me without another look.

"Wait for it" I said half loud, not sure if he heard me, but I thought I saw him twitching. "One day I kick your afterburner. You will not be prepared. One day you'll get everything back."

I had to learn how to detach the tip of my tail like a lizard and left it in the gate. When I was lucky I could pick it up again afterwards when some other Con had opened the gate for himself.

Finally I met Megatron - and Starscream - in the command center, where Megatron watched over the processes of Cybertron on giant screens.

"You're late" he said and I stayed silent. "I heard you flew. You nearly caused an accident."

He turned around to me in anger.

"You cannot land, you cannot steer, you cannot dodge if someone bigger than you crosses your path. Fly inside where you're not endangering anyone."

"But Starscream ..."

"Silence! You are forbidden to fly until further notice. Dismiss."

I lowered my head. "Yes, Lord Megatron."

I left the room. In the corridor leading to the exit Starscream surpassed me with his big steps.

"Starscream, you dick" I dared to say.

He turned around. "What business do I have with that, did I push you from the street or something? That was your own decision. Megatron is right: If you're not able to fly don't do it." With these words he soared at the exit and flew away.

I was causing trouble all the time. Maybe Starscream was involved every other time when Megatron scolded me for anything, but I myself was also contributing to my image, mostly due to ignorance.

I was just straying around - I had outdistanced M-426237 somewhere, as usually when I got annoyed by his company. He was not good for anything anyway. I had stepped into some confusing building and ran through corridors, whose logic I didn't understand and finally climbed in bot mode up an inclination, while ramming my claws between the panels on every step.

I had already climbed a good distance when above me a series of hatches opened. First I thought: Interesting, there are flying dinosaurs coming out, no idea why. But quickly they flew into my direction and I understood: Whoops, they're in for trouble.

Hastily I pulled out all my claws from the ground and ran - slided - stumbled and fell over on my way down, rolled down the last dozen of yards, fitting for the circus. For the clown's show, that is. I fell the last yards through the air where the inclination ended, hit the wall and jumped aside just in time so the flying dinosaurs missed me. With the sound of a salve of cannon balls they hit the wall. I jumped through the gate out to the corridor, from where I had come.

But that was of no use. I ran towards the exit - I would never make it, the creatures were to fast. They already swarmed into the corridor behind me. What should I do? I stopped, stepped to the side in case I was wrong and they just wanted to pass by and prepared myself for a fight - no, they didn't want to pass by. The first few steered towards me and stretched out their claws in my direction. I dodged - the first one, but number two and three dragged me with them.

While flying forward they moved away from each other. I rammed the claws of my right arm into the one that hold my left arm, while I blindly tried to find the one that held my right leg with my tail. The first one let go and lurched in the air. We reached the exit, the swarm stumbled, reorganized itself, circled me. I bent to the one at my leg, jabbed it, he let go of me. When I just hit the ground, the swarm enshrouded me. Too many.

They attacked me here and there, teared on me. I beat and jabbed around me, but in the flattering I didn't see where I aimed. They teared me into all directions, up in the air. The mass of wings and bodies turned around me, so I didn't know where was up and where was down. One pulled on my tail. They teared on my limbs, until my human flesh sent flashing signals of pain and I let go of the metal case of my right arm. I didn't see, where the flying dinosaur disappeared with it. Soon I noticed how the tearing on all of my other limbs got out of hand.

No, this wouldn't repeat that often. I clawed my left arm into the first critter that I could reach, held it as strongly as I could. I wanted to tear it apart and I was so angry, that it burned inside of me. I let the anger out, unleashed it as energy from inside of me, it literally broke out of me. There was a bang - the swarm dispersed when blue lightning from my burned out victim jumped to the critters nearby in a chain reaction. While as reaction they teared off my other limbs. I fell down as a human, heavily hit the ground. Around me it rained metal parts. I grabbed one arm and raised it high, ready to beat something up with it.

The screeching critters circled around me, seemingly irresolutely if they should attack again.

Then, like following a silent signal, they all dashed away, back into the building where they came from.

Surprised I stood there. What was going on? They could have kicked my ass easily. I didn't see any reason to stop their attack.

Slowly I let the metal arm sink. In case they came back, I looked around on guard. But it stayed quiet.

Well, as usually some Decepticons had stopped to watch the action, but the fight had been too short to gather a significant audience.

Wait a second, that were not any Cons. In some distance, out of my hearing range Megatron and Starscream stood on another street, roughly pointing in my direction. Judging their poses I saw that Megatron knocked the stuffing out of Starscream. I had seen the image several times lately, no idea why. It was not my business anyway, except I avoided to meet Megatron if he was already enraged.

First I made sure that I was more or less unharmed. With some small scratches it had went surprisingly well this time.

Then I collected my parts. Picked them up from the ground like flowers. In the heat of the fight I hadn't noticed that they had ripped of several panels from my case. Soon I carried a pile of metal in my arms. Just when I thought I had everything I received a message from Megatron, who summoned me. That was the last thing I needed now.

Of course he needed to keep the norms of a leader and demanded that I - a small human on two small feet - came to him, although in his jet mode he would be ten times, a hundred times faster at my position. Also he had retreated into any command room nearby, so my way wouldn't be too short. I went on my way.

I reached Megatron and stepped through the door into the room, arms full of teared off machine parts, which conveniently covered my nakedness. Expecting a punishment I dragged the parts closer to me as if they could protect me.

Instead he stared at my face for several seconds. "Are you wearing the Decepticon insignia on your forehead?"

I resisted the urge to touch my forehead. "Look, I can explain, but I'd rather not to, if it can be avoided."

"In pink? That's unacceptable. Wipe it off. The Decepticon insignia has to be violet, the most energetic light, to symbolize our strength."

Carefully I moved my weight, crouched down and hold the pile of metal parts between my femorals, my left arm and my right elbow, so my right hand was free to scratch my forehead, but the paint was Cybertronian high class workmanship. The only thing I managed to do was that my reddening skin dragged even more attention to the insignia. At least I pretended to do my utmost, but I had to wait for the paint to grow out.

Meanwhile Megatron continued with his matter and threw the dead flying dinosaur in front of my feet. "How did you do that?"

My memory was empty. It has been too much, everything had went so fast. I wanted to destroy them and something had happened. And somehow I had the feeling that I wouldn't want to tell Megatron if I would know. "By desperation. I have no idea, it just happened. The human brains doesn't remember everything, especially when stressed."

"I'm waiting for the day that passes by without you doing anything inappropriate." You could see his effort to keep his self control.

"Your world is confusing. Around every corner someone or something wants to kill me."

"You should know why. After everything you did to us you cannot expect kindness."

"Good. Then don't complain if I have to find my own ways to get along here."

"There would be an easier way for everyone."

"I cannot give you the Allspark, also you would kill me if I would and if you wouldn't, then anyone else here would do it. The Allspark is the only thing that withholds you."

"You shouldn't put your pitiful existence over the survival of a whole species."

As usually we came to the same discussion until Megatron completely lost his patience and threw me out. Literally. In a shower of my metal parts and with a half skillful role while I acquired some more insignificant bruises I landed on the street. This time I had already got my thrashing and he resigned from further punishment.

I started to collect my parts again when Starscream flew close. The last thing I needed. The well-known uneasy feeling spread in my stomach, a nervousness - not to call it anxiety - every time he appeared.

He picked up my tail - the most important part of my machine body which I needed to keep my balance when running.

This time I just shrugged and called: "You can keep it, it's a present. I guess you always wanted to have something like that." I giggled about that. You needed to take chances like that.

Starscream looked at me confused. "What's that supposed to mean? Hey, Sparkling, don't be a killjoy."

I ignored him and held my mechanical arm to my human arm. Hm, how to reconnect them?

But Starscream stubbornly tried to provoke a reaction or to kill his boredom or why-ever he did that. He stole all parts he could get his servos on before me - nearly all - and scattered them between the command center and the space port, like for a sick paper chase.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seldra fights Starscream.  
> Starscream's prison.  
> Seldra is free again.  
> Attempt to escape from Cybertron.

I was just sitting down to eat at the edge of the street when I heard a well-known thunder beside me. Starscream. Startled I turned around and nearly dropped the liver, which I hold tighter.

He demanded: "I heard you grew weapons. Show me." With that he made a step to me which made me get up and run away.

"Hey, it's impolite to leave when someone talks to you."

I thought I could disappear into the building, but Starscream was faster. He picked me up in a fly by and put me down in the middle of the street.

Breathing in panic I looked left and right, then up to Starscream before me. I would never get away in life. Instead I stuffed the remaining liver into my mouth. It was too big for my throat and I retched and choked. Starscream watched me amused when I fell on my knees, coughed and felt how the thick piece of meat heavily and slowly slided down, leaving a pressing and burning sensation.

I nearly forgot about Starscream, but finally I was standing again and looked at him with a suspicious glance.

"You don't need to overreact. I just said Hello" he said.

Again I look around for a way to escape, but it was hopeless. "You want my weapons? Which weapons? I don't have any."

He put his servos on his hips. "You cannot keep any secrets from me. You shot in your last arena fight, the whole city talks about it and you're not telling me?"

Should he have those useless things if he cared so much about them. I exposed them from my arms - the new emerged slits were still crusted from blood and reopened. I unriged the weapons, first the right one and threw it to Starscream's feet, then the left one. My cannons were tiny things, embarrassing.

"There you are. Will you now leave me alone?"

Starscream picked up the tiny parts with two digits and lifted them before his face. "A pea shooter and a laser pointer? Ridiculous. You have to work on that."

Work on that? What should I do, buy myself some upgrades? This was how they grew.

He threw them back to me. "Hm, on the other hand, if you would hit the right place, the optical sensors for example ... Are you at least able to aim?"

Unconsciously my eyes moved to the side. In the distance at the next building as a tiny spot I could see the bulls eye I had drawn on the wall. From here I couldn't see them, but on the way there small metal spheres lay widely scattered around. I remembered the prohibition to smudge the walls and if someone would ask me I would deny everything. I found it like that. "I'm not comfortable talking with you about that."

"Oh, you can show me instead." He flew in his robot mode into the air and kept standing there. "You still want a revenge, right? Come on, Megatron is not there."

"No, I'm banned to fly. You'll rattle me out again." I tried to estimate the escape path. Starscream now was several yards away, but he could fly faster than I could run, even in my robot mode.

"No, I promise."

"I don't believe a word you say. Just leave me alone."

This mysterious smile, this - how could I describe it - hungry glance I knew just too well. I wouldn't get away that easily, one of us had to fall. Nervously I stepped from one foot onto the other.

He spoke out what I had seen in his optics. "I'm not sure if you really want that. You tell me to leave you alone, but I don't see any effort to make it true. Come on, shoot on me."

He exposed a cannon and shot.

I transformed and jumped aside.

"You're not supposed to shoot me with that."

"Then don't get yourself hit."

He shot again where I came from and I jumped further. That's how he drove me to the edge of the street.

"Fight back."

I'd like to do. This bastard. He forced me to jump over the edge and I exposed my jet engines. Very well, it was of no use, I couldn't leave from here in any other way. I flew up. When I was at the same height as Starscream I exposed my pea shooter and wanted to shoot, but the movement made me lose my balance and I started to spin.

I heard Starscream make "Tz, tz". It was spinning too fast for me to see his face. "That's unacceptable. You need to do better than that."

What a dick. I wanted to kick his afterburner and couldn't, that made me so angry. I managed it to stabilize myself and I turned slowly until I flew in his direction, then I lifted my arms to the front for shooting.

Too bad that made me topple again and I spread my arms wide for braking, to no avail. Starscream remained at his position. Well, when I couldn't shoot, I wanted to rip him apart with my bare hands. He would not be prepared.

"I kill you!" I reached out for him and anger burned inside of me. I left it out. It exploded in a bright light around me and I stumbled somehow, overturned and slided down a smooth surface until a corner.

Surprised I found myself on a glowing blue crystal structure, several yards high. I felt hot. Exhausted I looked around if I had hit Starscream.

Too bad he was still hovering above and looked as startled as me.

That was my chance. I accelerated towards him, reached out my arms to grab him.

With optics open wide in panic he lifted his EMP cannon and shot.

I transformed back to human mode. My momentum still let me fly towards Starscream, who caught me, but I barely noticed that. I stared on my arms and it felt like my bones would melt like lava.

A series of machine noises came from his voice processor. ["What's going on? Sparkling, pull yourself together!"]

Uncontrolled screams of pain came out of my mouth. I noticed how Starscream put his giant digit across my mouth before I lost consciousness.

The worst thing about a nightmare was when you woke up from one and found yourself in another one.

When I woke up, still feeling the burning or the aftermath of the burning in every bone, I found myself lying on cold metal ground, shaking from the cold. Magnetic cuffs hold both my wrists and ankles together.

With some effort that increased the pain first I turned onto my stomach, then I dragged myself together to my famous crouching position, in which I would stay until the pain had faded as much that I could get up. If it was feasible until then.

With a blurred vision I looked around. On all my scouting I had never seen this place, its walls covered with rectangular gray panels and that was illuminated by this red shine.

I had no idea how I had come here, but judging my condition I assumed bad things.

After some hours it was Starscream who visited me.

Starscream. From all Decepticons the one I least wanted to see came for a visit.

Some machine noises came out of his throat. ["Oh, you're awake."]

If Starscream was frightening when he was angry it was even worse when he tried to be friendly. His smile made my blood freeze in my veins. Above all I didn't understand a word he was saying.

He came closer to me so I only saw his legs. More noises. ["How are you?"] I heard that he was looking in my direction. He waited. Oh no, that means he had asked a question.

Because every movement hurt I tried to avoid speaking as far as possible and just made a painful "Hm".

That was not enough. Starscream got a little upset. ["I'm not talking to myself, Sparkling. I demand an answer when I raise a question."] Sounds of an angry machine that reminded me of circling blades.

No, no. He stepped to me and grabbed my neck, lifted me up. I sighed because of the sudden pain. The hard metal of his fingers bit coldly into my naked skin. Helplessly I hung in his arm and I grabbed it to decrease the pressure of my chin on his servo.

"I don't understand" I pressed out under tears of pain. "Please, speak my language."

He dropped me.

I sobbed because of the impact. Then, in slow motion, I pulled myself together into my crouching position.

"I asked how you are" he repeated. "But that suffices as an answer."

He kept silent. Seemed to wait for a while for a reaction from me. At least an angry glare which I gave him so often when I would like to kick his afterburner but didn't dare to do so. Too many times I had to experience how that ended, so I restricted myself to glares. But this time it didn't come.

"Oh, I got it. Now you're not that confident anymore, hm?"

Still I didn't react, eyes nearly closed.

"You're not very chatty today. At least you stopped with that screaming."

I made my "Hm-mhm" again in case he was expecting an answer. I wanted to avoid at any cost that he lifted me again.

"Can you receive radio messages?"

I only made "Mhm-mhm."

"Can you speak more clearly?"

"No."

"No you cannot receive messages or no you cannot answer more clearly?"

Oh, I hated him. Just shut up and leave me alone.

"Everything offline. Pain."

"You don't say."

He stared at me in silence. I started to nap off.

"Oh, by the way, because conveniently you transformed into a human and my null ray deactivated the scanners. The walls here are thick enough to shield your radiation, so don't worry, no one will find you here."

I hadn't thought about that. Good to know that I was unlucky in every respect.

"How boring" he finally said. "Be seeing you then, make yourself at home. I will look after you later. But don't you dare smudging the walls while I'm absent or doing some other bullshit."

At the edge of my consciousness I noticed one, maybe two more visits from Starscream in which he let me be at least.

Finally I was awake, bright awake. Still I felt bad and with every movement I felt my bones, but it was bearable.

With small steps, as much as my cuffs allowed, I ran around and scouted the place.

My rectangular room was open at the side to the corridor and I spotted more rooms like this. I considered this to be a kind of prison, where you could switch on some kind of energy barrier to keep the prisoners inside, but the switches were located to high for me to verify my theory.

Following the corridor at its end I found stairs with big steps. I could carefully let myself down on my stomach and get down and up in this way, but it looked like there was only another corridor like this one.

On the other side the corridor ended in a room. I thought that to be the exit located in a dizzy thirty feet height - only with the goodwill of an aviator, a seeker for instance, one could get in or out.

I could fly as well. Someday again, probably. But would I stand it here for so long?

Starscream, found me in the first cell, where I hid at the front side to sleep. Here you couldn't really hide, but trying so made me feel better. I wasn't that much helpless.

I jumped up and fought down the panic that usually overcame me when spotting Starscream. Keep calm. If he wanted to do something, I couldn't prevent him anyway. I got short on air trying to control my breath.

Starscream took his position in front of me. I felt the urge to run away, but even without the cuffs it would be of no use.

Then he crouched down in front of me - because I was crouching as well he needed to make himself small to reach me. "Well, you seem to feel better." He bumped me from the side, so I fell down. In the cuffs I could barely keep my balance.

A little bit upset and intimidated at the same time I pulled myself together into the crouching position and got up. Tried to hide my feelings.

"Now what, Silver Snake?" I asked provoking. "What will you do to me? Will you keep me here until I die of thirst? Do you want to watch me dying as the crowning end to all your efforts to cause me trouble?"

"Hm, good question", he replied with a grain of sarcasm. "Would it be entertaining enough to be worth the lost of the Allspark?"

"I cannot tell you. I have no understanding of your sick sense for entertainment." That was the truth. I had no explanations for his motivation.

"I wasn't expecting that much intellect from you anyway." He dandled his head sideways like a snake that hypnotized its victim. Seemed to think. "I tell you what I do with you, Sparkling. You answer one question. Then I set you free."

"I don't believe a word you say" I replied instantly. Why should Starscream just let me leave? "This is one of your bad jokes, hm? Let me guess: I shall multiply two twelve digit long numbers without any tool? Oh wait, wait, more insidious. You don't say when you set me free. With 'setting free' you mean kill. Or you set me free by bringing me to a place even worse. Where's the snag?"

He shook his head. "Tz, tz, so much distrust. Then all the fun would be over. No, Megatron can do this himself."

He kept serious and looked at me with a fixed glaze. "Do you intent to ever give us the Allspark back?"

What, this shall be the big question whose answer was worth my freedom? I believed him even less. But at least I could try.

"I told Megatron a hundred times. No, I don't know how."

"Aha." I tried to read in his face what he thought about that answer, but it was mysterious. "You know what happens if you tell anyone about this thing?"

"I don't want to know. It's not necessary to tell me."

"Good." He lifted his arm and let it fall down on my head.

I woke up with a strong headache. At my water place, uncuffed. Shaking from the cold, lying on the bare metal ground - I didn't do that. I crept to the water and drank greedy - slowly, slowly - drank slowly with small sips. I got sick. I started to rub my hands and to tap my upper body to warm myself up, then I continued drinking.

Still there was nothing but silence inside my head. I looked around when I heard noises of a heavy machine that came closer - M-426237. He stopped in some distance. Then he did something he had never done before: He crouched down in front of me to talk to me on eye level. His left cheek was noticeably dented. "You're back."

Even so I could not expect a hug. I wouldn't want one as I was cold enough from the metal ground. "Yes, of course." I laughed as if everything has been part of my plan. You know what happens if you tell anyone about this. I don't wanna know, thanks. It's completely unnecessary to tell me. "What happened to you? Did you get in a fight?"

He turned his head to the left so I couldn't see the dent anymore. "Hmpf, no. I don't want to talk about it."

Then I supposed my second hypothesis was true: Obviously he failed his task to watch over me when I disappeared. How long had I been away? Because the pain in my bones had ebbed away I estimated about a week. A week in which nobody - except one special person - anyone had received any life signal from me or the Allspark. That meant trouble.

How convenient. We came to the silent agreement that he didn't ask me what happened to me as long as I didn't demand an answer from him.

"If you're done" M-426237 continued and I noticed that he spoke my human language, "then Megatron wants to talk to you. He expects you in three groons in the command center."

"I still need a while" I explained, feeling hungry. I still couldn't make sense of Cybertronian time units.

"That's enough time for that."

"Oh."

On the way to the command center I passed my last battlefield. The energon had crystallized in impressive structures several yards high, which I hadn't had time before to marvel at. And now I was nearly too late, because the Decepticons had started to break down the crystals into manageable pieces and to carry them away. Energon was a too valuable resource to let it stand on the street as a pleasure for the eye. The amount was significant - the energon would have overloaded Starscream's spark if I would have hit him, so it was enough to supply a Decepticon of Starscream's size for the course of a Cybertronian lifetime without the need to recharge. But "life" is relative and they recharged to increase it. Also it depended on the consumption, what they did in that time.

M-426237 let me go inside alone as always and waited outside for me. "As always" was relative, too. Often I went alone anyway, because I outran him somewhere.

When I went in Megatron resigned from telling me I was too late - was I too late? I was too late most of the time. Probably I was too late. Instead he got to the point.

"You cannot transform" he stated. I wanted to raise my voice and disagree when he continued: "Don't deny it again. I'm tired of all of your childish excuses."

So I shut my mouth again. Of course he had contacted M-426237, because he hadn't reached me and the case had been clear.

Megatron sent a silent command to the big screen which showed a picture of the energon crystals that were just mined. "What happened there?"

You know what happens if you tell anyone. Thanks, no need to tell me.

"The Allspark just exploded, I don't know, why" I explained hastily. "Then I got scared and hid."

"Who can witness that?"

"No idea? I was too busy with myself."

Megatron rolled annoyed his optical sensors. "How is it possible that you do something on an open street and in this densely populated city and no one sees you?"

I tried to stand his glare and smiled ashamed. Made a gesture of not-knowing-anything. If I had to guess I would say I wasn't the only one who had too much respect to testify against Starscream.

"Leave" Megatron commanded in a huff. "I expect you to discuss the case with the Doc after your recovery."

Yeah, nope, not if it can be avoided. I indicated a submissive bow - only a farce to consolidate him - and retreated.

Still pressing one hand on the bleeding wound at my left lower rib I landed on the platform.

My thoughts were spinning around. No, no, what have I done. I had killed the doctor. I had ... M-426237 ... I had ... I had ... it was worse than everything before. This time they wouldn't let me get away that easily. My punishment would be unimaginable. I had to get away from here.

In front of me there was my only exit. I had just a little time before they would track me down.

But then Starscream flew near and landed before me on the platform, blocking my only exit. I wanted to cry. I wanted to puke out of anger. But I didn't.

But I was injured. The area of my left lower rib burned, the blood had barely started to dry and still ran down in single, heavy drops. I breathed heavily, it took all my effort to keep standing. But I would throw everything against him that I could. I would rather die than being brought back.

Starscream clapped his servos slowly. "Well done, Sparkling. The city is going down in chaos. You exploded the command center, didn't you? Destroyed the energon sensors. The generators shut down."

I glared at him in anger. Why did he tell me. He continued his monologue: "The Decepticons don't know what they should do first: Searching for you or helping to fight the fire. Because the sensors are broken most decide for the more promising way. Nobody believes you'll get away from here anyway. Wonderful, I'm nearly impressed."

He threw a glance over his shoulder to the building. "I thought you would want to leave Cybertron now, I would have done the same thing. Where do you want to go? Near or far there is no place for you."

I took a deep breath, lifted myself up with my remaining strength and said: "I'm shooting myself to Earth. If you want to stop me you have to kill me."

"With one of the space ships you will be instantly found, if you can convince them to cooperate, that is. On the other hand, the trip without a space engine will take an eternity, you know? Everyone you know will be dead by then. If you make it that far and we don't pick you up until then. If you survive the start, that is. You don't have a heat shield as far as I'm aware."

I ignored him and transformed. The metal of my case pushed itself over the wound, which kept bleeding below it. I let one energon bolt jump from one servo to the other. "Do you want to stop me? Face me. This time I'm roasting YOUR intestines." I had to be fast. In robot mode the Allspark within me emitted his energy through me like through an antenna, while as a human my flesh absorbed most of its radiation. Meant - now everyone knew I was here.

It burned slightly in my bones and I remembered how Patchwork had warned me to use the power of the Allspark. I didn't know if I still had the power to stand another shock or if all courage would leave me when Starscream really attacked. He could just expose his strange EMP cannon and shut me down. Probably he could just rip me off my feet without giving me the chance to touch him.

But instead he stepped aside, smiling with a servo movement.

Confused I transformed back and pressed one hand on the wound. Several seconds passed, but still he didn't move. "Is that one of your tricks again?" I asked.

As an answer he stepped to me. Prodded his finger against my forehead. "Not today." He transformed into a jet and flew away.


End file.
